Contributions

In west Petaluma, a hilly, treeless plot of land will be declared the Paula Lane Nature Preserve next month because of the tenacious work of local residents who were inspired by an equally tenacious creature -- the American badger.

The new Marin ordinance restricts the number of trees residents can cut down a year from five to two. But salmon advocates say it doesn't go far enough in protecting mature trees that are crucial to fish habitat.

This winter, the traffic bottlenecks around Santa Rosa might be a little easier to manage--at least if you happen to be a California tiger salamander. Santa Rosa's population of tiger salamanders, declared endangered in 2000, will be able for the first time to get to breeding ponds through several special tunnels installed underneath busy roads.

A new study finds flooding and episodic storm events could result in an estimated $20 million in damages by 2100. And accelerated landward erosion from an estimated 1.4-meter rise in sea-level by 2100 could result in $540 million in damages. Along the way, we'd lose habitat for plovers and bank swallows and a favorite recreation spot for millions of people.

The Golden Gate Bridge, approaching its 75th anniversary, is the most photographed bridge in the world -- but what about what lies underneath it? Photographer David Liittschwager decided to address just that and discovered that the number of living things that pass through a cubic foot of water here in an hour is greater than the number of cars that have ever driven over it.